Fruit juice extractor



Jan, 23 1945. FRQMM 2,367,859

FRUIT JUICE EXTRACTOR Filed March 1, 1943 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 i l l i l l l l l l l l I 1 l l l l I l l INVENTOR, H .671787? Fromm BY 23, E945. H. FROMM 2,367,859

FRUIT JUICE EXTRACTOR I Filed March 1, 1943 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN OR.

ATI'DR N EYE Jan. 23, 1945. FRQMM 2,367,859

FRUIT JUICE EXTRACTOR Filed March 1, 1943 5 Sheets-Sheet s w w 58 I w a 0 30 45 /Z6 4.7g .92 4 094 A? erberifro mm,

IN VEN TOR.

BY. ,5 ma

ATTORNEYS Jam. 23, 1945. FRQMM 2,367,859

FRUIT JUICE EXTRACTOR Filed March 1, 1945 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 ATTDRN EYS Patented Jan. 23, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FRUIT JUICE EXTRACTOR Herbert Fromm, Hamburg, Wis.

Application March 1, 194?; serial N6: 477,595

13 Claims.

My invention relates to the extraction of fruit juices, and has among its objects and saves: tages' the provision of an improved fruit juice extractor embodying novel means whereby the fruit, such as oranges is fed one at a time to a dividing knife, in which a novel arrangement of hands or cups are provided for receiving the halves from the knife, together with a rio ve1 reamer means are provided for coaction with! the cups for extracting the fruit juices and siibse= quently discharging the skin's from the cups.

In the accompanying drawings 2 I Figure 1 is a side view of a fruit uice extractor inaccordanc'e with my invention.

Figure 2 is a similar view but with the machine turned 90 degrees about its vertical axis.

Figure 3 is a top view.

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view of a pertion of the machine in the plari'of the reamers and their respective fruit supporting cups.

Figure 5 is a side view of the structure of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a sectional detail view of one or the reamer advancing means. V

Figure 7 is a sectional view of one of the cups with a fruit half dropped therein.

Figure 8 is a similar vi w illustrating the; resin: er advanced into the-fruit half. 7 s H H Figure 9 is a View illustrating the'cup tipped for discharging the fruit skin therefrom.

Figure 10 is a top view' of a portion of the fruit feeding means.

Figure 11 is a fragmentary View of two of the fruit containing tub'es. v v

Figure 12 is' a sideview of the structure of Fig ure 1-0, and

Figure 13 is a fragmentary detail View of an adjustable fruit dam.

In the embodiment of the invention selected for illustration, I- make use of a frame structure upon which is mounted a horizontal floor or plate 22 provided with a downwardly inclined chute 24 having its receivingend arranged in alignment with an opening 26 in the floor 22-; Upon the floor 22 are mounted a plurality of up right fruit tubes 28, the lower ends ofthe t ubes being fixedly attached to a rotative plate 30 fixed to a shaft 32 rotatably supported in a bearing 33 attached to the floor 22. 7 All the tubes 28 are agranged concentrically of the axis ofth'e shaft 32 so that the tubes are su c'eessi'veiy brought into alignment with the opening 25 through rotation of the shaft and the plate 30. The tubes may be welded one to the other and toithe; plate 30.

The fruit is stacked iii vertiesi eeiimiiis is aii 01 us s) the tubes 28. Means for restraining all the fiflfili in each uccessive tube from falling at one tiine through the pening 26 comprises a daiii 34 new iiig a blade like elernent 3p paralleling user 22 ana siraiiges in e plane of slots :iii iii the times 28. The dairijfi iric i eies s ank 441 which is mounted en the frame 20'. he bla e at is s6 pes tieiiee to pa s between the tee iewer'incist fruit in the suece s vetutes they are brqugr t into alignment with tl'i'operi ing 2s".- The b sqe extends sufilc'ieritly; re inside the tube in its feed ing scss tieii ts effectively Hold the fruitthere; suave from dropping throug the-ensu ng 2a, with the blade having a width sue'iias' to per:

1 icrm a damfniiig' fun tid i until such time the tube s rotated sufficiently far to see side "o tileseeping 2a to area the fruit ont o tlie ne'er; 22,

iewe end or the chute g4 i ettae jea at 42 to" a cutting meek 44- recessed at 45 for the re;- ceiitid 'i of the up er edge mar ns: a bowl 4a. This bowl is also recess d a so t'e receive the end margins of the cutting block to restrain the slee rom rel tive lateral movemen on the bowl. The block 84; has a. deeiiiiiiig iqpr 5'2 uli di i which i tfl fruit reiis friir'i i the eiiute 24, With the use? 52 ea ring u'fiwafdly ts previi ea eer w u er stop 54 against which thefruit lodges to life in alves through the me iumr made as at: ta ieu t'd a.1"eciprocatijigsliait 5s; While the meek 52 is" relajtivli narrow, fruit is effectively supported thereon through the" medium of a holder carried at the up er end or a bar 62, Tiiis'bar is mounte er pivotal meveiiier'it about a supporting" shait a; that the holder may he pivoted eiear oi trieiruit aiterj it is cut into" halves to permit the latter to ran or pivot' saw/army from the blade at int's naiids or cup-s as; A return spring 51 Yield'ing'ly suearts the holder so n the position of Figure 2'. The made as sieves freely in a s s er in the mask 52, with the blade cutting entirely through the fruitsd that the haives are completely seve d one train the other to fall in dp'pfisitedirfiitidfis" in'te their're'slpective dies as. v

he cups 6 6 are respectively vertically aligned with rotary reamer 50. Each reamer is fixed to a shaft 112 mounted for axial and rotary iii-eve: mentin bearings "msa is earrieq by a irsiiie s fixedly i erated to the nam 25?. T e guided ii Openings aofilld a; the fr me 18. This shaft is" mounted for longitudinal move? meat in the eeenmgs an and ti and is actuated by sieves 8'4 two as straddling the slsiaft- 59 and Qettd its-8 t6 reserve a pm extending trarisverseli thriiiglithe snare 5'8.-

The lever 84 is pivotally mounted on a shaft 92 carried by brackets 94 fixed to the frame 18. The shaft 92 is located intermediate the ends of the lever 84, and the lever is yieldingly held in its normal position of Figure by reason of a tension spring 96 having one end attached to the outer end of the lever and its other end connected with a lug 98, attached to the bowl 48. A link I00 is pivotally connected at I02 with the lever 84 and at I04 with a push rod I06 slidably mounted in a bearing I08. This rod is actuated by a cam H0 attached to a shaft II2.

Two levers II4 are provided for the two shafts 12. These levers are fixed to a sleeve II6 rotatably mounted on a shaft II8 carried by the brackets 94. An arm I is fixed to the sleeve I I6 and is actuated by a link I22 identical with the link I00 and pivotally connected with a push rod I24 corresponding to the push rod I06. The push rod I24 is actuated by a cam I26 attached to the shaft II2.

Each shaft 12 is provided with a sleeve I 28 fitting loosely thereon and restrained from relative axial movement by collars I30 made secure by set screws I32. Each sleeve is connected with one lever II4, by pins I34 attached to the sleeve I28 and slidably guided in slots I36 in the fingers I38 straddling the shaft. A tension spring I40 corresponding to the spring 96 is attached to the arm I20 for yieldingly holding the two levers H4 in the normal position of Figure 5. Thus the shaft 12 may be moved upwardly and downwardly through pivotal movement of the levers I I 4, these levers being connected as a unit.

Means for turning the shafts 12 comprise grooved wheels I42 keyed at I 44 to their respective shafts, but with the keys permitting relative longitudinal movement of the shafts. The wheels I42 are restrained from relative axial movement on the shafts by reason of engagement between the wheel hubs I46 and bosses I48 on the members I50 and I52 of the frame 18.

A belt I54 passes aroundthe wheels I42 and around a drive wheel I56 attached to a shaft I58 provided with a Worm wheel I60 meshing with a worm I62 fixed to a shaft I64 having a large grooved wheel I66 fixed thereto and driven by a belt I68 passing around a grooved wheel I10 driven by an electric motor I12. This motor is. mounted on a board I14 hinged at I16 't'o' the frame 20 so that the weight of the motor may be utilized as a belt tightener.

. A second worm I18 is fixed to the shaft I64 and meshes with a worm gear I keyed to the shaft I I2 to supply power for actuating the rod 58 and the two rods 12 for reciprocatory action in a predetermined order to first bring the blade 56 downwardly for cutting the fruit andthen bringing the reamers 10 into reaming relationship with the cups 66. The holder 60 moves to its retracted position immediately upon severance of the fruit, which motion is imparted to the holder against the tension of the spring 61 by a cam I82 fixed to the shaft II2 for engagement with the lower end of the bar 62. This bar is mounted between lugs I84 depending from the bowl 48 and supporting he shaft 64.

Means for rotating the shaft 32 comprises a. bevel gear I86 attached to the shaft underneath a bracket I88 attached to the frame 20 for rotatably supporting the shaft. A bevel gear I90 meshes with the gear I86 and is fixed to a shaft I92 supported in a bearing I94 fixed to the bracket I88. To the shaft I92 is fixedly connected a ratchet wheel I96 having teeth I98 equal in num;

her to the tubes 28. The wheel I96 may be rotated in a clockwise direction when viewing Figure 12, but is restrained from counterclockwise rotation by means of a resilient latch 200 attached to the frame 20. An arm 202 is pivotally connected at 204 with a link 206 pivotally connected at 208 with a bracket 2I0 attached to the frame 20. The arm 202 is yieldingly held in engagement with the wheel I96 by a tension spring 2 I2 interconnecting the arm with the link 206. A cam 2I4 is fixed to the shaft II2 for imparting oscillatory motion to the link 206 and rotary motion to the wheel I96 one tube at a time. Such rotation of the wheel I96 rotates the tubes 28 a distance amounting to one tube at a time for bringing the successive tubes into registration with the feed opening 26. A tension sprin H6 i attached to the link 206 and the frame 20 to hold the link in pressure engagement with the cam 2l4.

In Figure 4, each of the cups 66 has a pivot 2I8 rotatably supported in a bore 220 in the cutting block 44. The pivots 2 I8 are coaxial one with the other and with shafts 222 fixed to the cups 66 and rotatably journaled in the bowl 48. Collars 224 are fixed to the shafts 222 and engage the bowl to restrain the shafts from relative axial movement in the openings 226 in the bowl.

An arm 228 is fixed to each shaft 222 and the arms are loosely connected with push rods 230- slidably supported in openings 232 in the bowl flange 234 and a bowl supporting frame 236 to which the flange is connected. The push rods 230 are additionally slidably supported in bearings 238 attached to the frame 236.

Compression springs 240 are mounted on the push rods 230 and abut the frame 236. Flanges 242 are fixed to the push rods and support the lower ends of the springs to yieldingly hold the push rods downwardly in bearing engagement with cams 244 fixed to the shaft I I2.

Figures 7 and 8 illustrate the normal positions of the cups 66 when in the fruit receiving and reaming positions. However, the two cups may be pivoted to the skin ejecting position of Figure 9 through upward movement of the push rods 230, which engage the arms 228 and impart pivotal movement to the shafts 222. The push rods have their upper ends loosely guided in slots 246 in the arms so as to positively return the cups to their normal positions through the action of the springs 240 when released by the cams 244.

Each cup 66 is provided with a slot 248 in which is normally disposed a finger 250 pivotally connected at 252 with the cup and provided with a rod 254 slidably mounted between guide rods 256 attached to the cutting block 44. With the cups positioned according to Figures '1 and 8, the fingers 250 lie in the slots 248 and constitute portions of the cups. When the cups are pivoted to the position of Figure 9, the pivotal connections 252 are elevated and the fingers 250 pivoted outwardly of the cups to positively eject the fruit skin 258 from the cups. The cups 66 are pivoted simultaneously and the rods 256 function as a sliding fulcrum for the rods 254 so that the fingers 250 are effectively pivoted outwardly of the cups notwithstanding the fact that the fruit skins might be pressed firmly into the cups. The inner faces of the cups are roughened so as to restrain the skins from rotation while the reamers are in active engagement with the fruit halves.

The fruit juices flow into the bowl 48 and the skins are also dropped into the bowl, the latter beingprovided wlthan outlet opening 260 through which the fruit juices and the skins flow to a zone of separation, as on a screen or the like.

Figure 13 illustrates a modification in that the shank 262 corresponding to the shank 4D is provided with slots 26 3 for the reception of screws 266 attached to the frame 20 and provided with nuts 263 for clamping the shank to the frame. Thus the shank 262 may be adjusted vertically to the end that the blade 38 may be similarly adjusted to accommodate larger or smaller fruit, the slots 38 being sufdciently wide to accommodate such adjustment of the blade.

The holder til remains in its forward position for a relatively short period of time. Since the reaming operation must be comparatively slow, the holder is so actuated as to make allowances for the reaming operation. The holder remains in its retracted position until the reamers are up and out of the way, after which it snaps forward in time to catch the fruit as it rolls from the feeding chute 2 5. As soon as the knife begins to sever the fruit, the fingers of the holder begin to retract so that by the time the fruit is cut all the way through, the fingers are entirely out of the way to permit the halves to fall apart and into the receiving cups.

Without further elaboration, the foregoing will so fully explain my invention, that others may, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt the same for use under various conditions of service.

I claim:

1. In a fruit juice extractor, the combination of two fruit supporting cups, a fruit support located between said cups, means for delivering one fruit at a time to said support, a retractable holder for balancing fruit on said support, a severing means for dividing the fruit into halves to cause the latter to fall apart and into the respectiv cups, reamers coacting with said cups for extracting fruit juices from the halves, and means for actuating said first mentioned means, said holder, said severing means and said reamers in a predetermined timed order.

2. In a fruit juice extractor, the combination of two fruit supporting cups, rotative fruit containers for holding the fruit in vertical columns, a fruit support located between said cups, a chute for delivering fruit to said support, means for delivering one fruit at a time from the successive fruit columns to said chute, a severing means for dividing the fruit into halves to cause the latter to fall apart and into the respective cups, reamers coacting with said cups for extracting fruit juices from the halves, and means for respectively actuating said rotative fruit containers, said severing means and said reamers in a predetermined timed order.

3. In a fruit juice extractor, the combination of two horizontally spaced fruit supporting cups, a fruit support located between said cups, a plurality of upright fruit containers for holding fruit in vertical columns and having their bottom ends open, said containers being located above said fruit support and connected as a unit for rotation about a vertical axis, a stationary floor at the bottom ends of said containers to support the fruit therein and having a fruit outlet opening, a gravity conveyor for receiving fruit dropped through said opening and delivering the fruit to said support, a feeder means stationary with respect to said containers for damming'all but the lowermost fruit in successive containers rotated over said opening, a retractable holder for balancing fruit on said support, a severing means for dividing the fruit into halves to cause the latter to fall apart and into the respective cups, rotative and retractable reamers coacting with said cups for extracting fruit juices from the halves, and means for respectively actuating said containers, said holder, said severing means and said reamers in a predetermined timed order.

4. The invention described in claim 3 wherein said containers are in the nature of tubes having circumferentially extending slots therein, and in which said feeder means includes a separator successively receivable in said slots to pass between the two lowermost fruit in the container over said outlet opening.

5. The invention described in claim 3 wherein said containers comprise tubes having circumferentially extending slots therein, and in which said feeder means includes a blade movable freely in the successive slots to pass between the two lowermost fruit in the successive containers moving across said outlet opening.

6. The invention described in claim 3 wherein said support is relatively narrow and arranged with its lon itudinal axis transversely of the plane of said cups, said holder including spaced fingers arranged to move to a position above the support for supporting fruit therebetween, said' severing device including a vertically movable blade, and said holder being retractable to a position for releasing the fruit halves prior to their separation.

7. In a fruit juice extractor, the combination of two horizontally spaced fruit supporting cups, a fruit support located between said cups, a plurality of upright fruit containers for holding fruit in vertical columns and having their bottom ends open, said containers being located above said fruit support and connected as a unit for rotation about a vertical axis, a stationary floor at the bottom ends of said containers to support the fruit therein and having a fruit outlet open mg, a gravity conveyor for receiving fruit dropped through said opening and delivering the fruit to said support, a feeder means stationary with respect to said containers for damming all but the lowermost fruit in successive containers rotated over said opening, a retractable holder for balancing fruit on said support, a severing means for dividing the fruit into halves to cause the latter to fall apart and into the respective cups, rotative and retractable reamers coacting with said cups for extracting fruitjuices from the halves, means for rotating said reamers in unison, means for rotating said containers step by step, said severing means including a vertically movable blade, means for reciprocating said blade, means for actuating said holder in a predetermined timed order with respect to said blade, and means for reciprocating said reamers in a predetermined timed order with respect to said blade.

8. The invention described in claim 1 wherein fruit skin ejectors are provided for said cups.

9. The invention described in claim 2 wherein said fruit cups are rotatable to skin ejecting positions, fingers pivotally connected with the cups for prying fruit skins therefrom, and means for imparting relative movement to the cups and said fingers.

10. The invention described in claim 3 wherein said cups are mounted for movement to fruit skin ejecting positions, means coacting with said cups to pry the fruit skins therefrom, and means for actuating the cups and said last mentioned means.

11. The invention described in claim 3 wherein said containers are in the nature of tubes having circumferentially extending slots therein, said feeder means including a separator successively receivable in said slots to pass between the two lowermost fruit in the container over said outlet opening, said cups being mounted for rotation to skin ejecting positions, fingers for prying the fruit skins from the cups, said fingers being piv-, otally connected with the cups, and means for actuating the cups and the fingers.

12. The invention described in claim 3 wherein said containers comprise tubes having circumferentially extending slots therein, said feeder means includin a blade movable freely in the successive slots to pass between the two lowermost fruit in the successive containers moving across said outlet opening, said cups having slots and being mounted for rotation to skin ejecting positions, fingers normally lying in the slots in the cups, said fingers being pivotally connected with the respective cups and provided with slidably' and pivotally guided arms, and means for rotating said cups to impart relative pivotal movement to said fingers for prying fruit skins from the cups.

13. In a fruit juice extractor, the combination of two fruit supporting cups, provided with slots and mounted for movement to skin ejecting positions, fingers normally lying in the slots in the cups and pivotally connected therewith, means for actuating the cups to impart relative pivotal movement to the fingers for prying fruit skins from the cups, a fruit support located between said cups, means for delivering one fruit at a time to said support, a severing means for dividing the fruit into halves to cause the latter to fall apart and into the respective cups, reamers coacting with said cups for extracting fruit juices from the halves, and means for actuating said second mentioned means, said severing means, said reamers and said cup actuating means in a predetermined timed order.

HERBERT FROMM. 

